Shloka 113
Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga
Path to Yama
व्रजन्नेवं विलपते पट्टिशैः पातितः पथि / हा मातर्हापितर्भ्रातः सुता हा हा मम स्त्रियः
vrajannevaṃ vilapate paṭṭiśaiḥ pātitaḥ pathi / hā mātarhāpitarbhrātaḥ sutā hā hā mama striyaḥ
یوں چلتے چلتے وہ فریاد کرتا ہے اور راستے میں تیز دھار ہتھیاروں سے مارا جا کر گِر پڑتا ہے۔ وہ پکارتا ہے—“ہائے ماں! ہائے باپ! بھائی! بیٹا! ہائے ہائے—میری بیوی!”—اور غم سے روتا ہے۔
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Attachment erupts as lament, yet the journey proceeds under forces shaped by one’s deeds; worldly bonds cannot intervene.
Vedantic Theme: Anityatā of worldly relations; jīva’s isolation when karma ripens.
Application: Cultivate detachment and spiritual preparation while alive; support the dying with dharma-instruction and remembrance practices rather than mere emotional clinging.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: path (preta-mārga)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated depictions of the preta’s suffering on the road and calling out to relatives; Garuda Purana: Yama-dūta narratives where lamentation is contrasted with karmic necessity
FAQs
This verse highlights how intense attachment to family resurfaces after death, becoming a cause of anguish as the preta undergoes painful experiences on the way to Yama’s realm.
It depicts the departed (preta) moving along a harsh route where suffering is encountered, and where the mind repeatedly clings to relationships—mother, father, brother, child, and spouse—through grief-filled cries.
Cultivate steadiness and dharmic living, and practice healthy detachment; support death rites and remembrance with prayer and charity so grief does not turn into binding attachment.